NEW DELHI: Desperate to rein in onion prices, which have been on an upward spiral across the national capital, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Imran Hussain on Friday ordered a crackdown on hoarding.
The minister directed his department and other agencies concerned to step up inspections to ensure there is no hoarding, black marketing and profiteering of onions.
The retail prices of the kitchen staple have spiked to between Rs 60 and Rs 80 across parts of the national capital. In a bid to provide to relief to homemakers who have literally been in tears in the wake of the rising onion prices, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had recently announced that the bulb would be sold at Rs 29 per kg at select fair price shops in the city.
To review the status of the sale of onions at subsidized rates, the minister on Friday chaired a meeting, which was attended, among others, by the Commissioner, Food and Civil Supplies (CFS) and senior officers of the Revenue Department and Delhi State Civil Supplies Corporation (DSCSC).
The minister noted the government’s move to provide relief to consumers have gone down well with the public, as they have shown a keen interest in purchasing the bulb from fair price shops and mobile vans.
He also lauded the effort of the food and civil supplies department and DSCSC in ensuring adequate supply of onions at fair price shops.
The minister said in order to ensure that wholesalers, middlemen and commissioned agents (Aarhtiyas), among others, do not take advantage of the current onion situation in the city, there is a need to constantly watch their market operations for checking any activities such as hoarding and black marketing.
He directed that enforcement teams, comprising officials of his department and other agencies concerned, carry out regular inspections to check such activities.
Price rise in focus
Hussain directed enforcement teams to carry out regular inspections to check such activities as hoarding and profiteering of onions.